Toy wagon steering mechanism



Ot- 10, '1944- M. s. ANDERSON TOY WAGON STEERING MECHANISM Filed Ocl..22, 1943 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 2,360,188 TOY WAGONSTEERING MECHANISM Miner S. Anderson, Wabasha, Minn. Application October22, 1943, Serial No. 507,294

6 Claims.

This invention relates to toy vehicles or wagons, and an object of theinvention is to provide 'a wagon which is quick steering and operatedfrom a cab or member partially rotatably mounted on a frame of thestructure, and in lwhich wagon the wheel-engaging spindles are assembledwith relation to the frame in a manner to produce a rugged structurewhich will withstand the hard usage to which such wagons are-subjected;and the invention also includes mechanism operated by the partiallyrotatable member for communicating oscillatory movement to thespindle-carrying knuckles or members.

The invention furthermore provides for the manufacture of a wagon ofthis character through the use of inexpensive stock materials that canbe shaped for assembly with relation to parts for the production of asuccessful wagon of this type.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists inthe elements and the combination and relation of parts to be hereinaftermore fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this application, wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 illustrates a view in perspective of an `assembly to whichwheels are to be applied;

'Figure 2 illustrates a similar view showing the parts disassembled;

Figure 3 illustrates a sectional View of parts of the device on the line3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showingthe Wheels mounted on the spindles;

Figure 5 illustrates a perspective View of a cab or body; and

Figure 6 illustrates a sectional view on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

In the drawing 'I denotes a fragment of a frame which embodies the frontsection thereof, it being understood that the rear portion will besupported by any ordinary wheel-supporting structure. The frame is shownas a channel iron having slots or recesses B in the side or edgeflanges, and the said frame has a transversely disposed slot 9. A tierod Ii] reciprocates in the slots 9, and the said tie rod comprises arod of suitable gauge or heavy wire which is doubled on itself centrallyto form a pintle Il which is movable in the slot 9 so that the tie rodcan move transversely of the frame, and the said pintle has a bushing orsleeve I2 on it to relieve wear'on the pintle and insure smoothoperation.

The tie rod has angularly disposed ends I3 which extend downwardly eachinto an aperture I4 of a knuckle I5 carrying the spindle I6 so that whenthe tie rod is reciprocated it oscillates the knuckle and the wheels Ilon the spindles are moved for the purpose of guiding the vehicle. l Itis shown that brackets I8 extend outwardly from the frame with the innerportion |801l of each bracket shaped to engage the side ange of theframel and with portions Ib overlying the upper surface of the frame,and the brackets with the parts thereof just described are attached tothe frame by spot welding or appropriate fastening means. The fianges ofthe channel iron each has an aperture I9 in which a transverselydisposed axle 2G is seated; the said axle projecting beyond the sides ofthe frame and having angularly disposed ends 2i which extend throughapertures 22 of the brackets I8 and into apertures 23 of the spindlemounting or knuckle I5, as shown in Figure 4, and a pin 24 may beinserted through the angularly disposed portion of the axle under thesaid knuckle I5. The front of the frame is supplied with a combineddraft plate and steering instrumentality 25 pivoted under the frameandhaving a slot 25a through which the pintle 8 projects so that when apull is exerted on the draft plate anwd it oscillates on the pivot, itwill move the tie rod transversely and result in steering the wagon.

The member 2 may be of any appropriate type or it may be a cab or bodyand it is turnably mounted on the frame through the use of a pivot 2lpassing through the floor of the body and anchored to the frame byriveting or other appropriate fastening means. The front of the membermay have an upstanding flange 28 with an aperture 29 forming a clearancefor the reception of a lever 3B. The lever has a slot 3I` in its innerend to receive a pin 32 depending from an apron or ange 33 which may bea part of the member. 'Ihe lever 30 is oscillatably mounted on a stud 34anchored to the frame, and the said lever is provided with a slot 35through which the pintle and sleeve project and as the member 26 ispartially rotated on the frame, it oscillates the lever 3i) andcommunicates [motion to the tie rod transversely of the frame and it, inturn, oscillates the knuckles of the spindles so that by themanipulation of the member, the vehicle is steered.

I claim:

1. In a steering mechanism of the character described, a frame, a memberturnable thereon, said member having a front end with an aperturetherein, a flange extending from the said end, a depending pin securedto the ange, a lever having slots near its ends, means for oscillativelymounting the lever on the frame with the pin in one of the end slots ofthe lever, a tie rod extending transversely of the frame and having apintle projecting into the other slot of the lever, an axle secured tothe frame in a position parallel with the tie rod and having a pinmounted at the iront end of the member,v

a lever having a longitudinally extending slot near each end, means foroscillatively mounting the lever in front of the member, the pin carriedby the member extending into one of the slots in the lever, a tie roddoubled on itself centrally to form a pintle seated in the other slot ofthe lever whereby the lever reciprocates the tie rod laterally of theframe, an axle extending transversely of the frame, brackets secured tothe sides of the frame and having apertures through which ends of` theaxle depend, knuckles pivoted on the said depending ends of the axle,wheel spindles carried by the knuckles, and connections between theknuckles and the tie rod whereby the knuckles are partially turned onthe ends of the axle, whereby the turning movement of the member iscommunicated to the wheels.

3. In a steering mechanism of the character described, a frame, a memberturnable thereon', a pin mounted at the front end of the member, a leverhaving a longitudinally extending slot near each end, means foroscillatively mounting the lever in front of the member, the pin carriedby the member extending into one of the slots in the lever, a tie roddoubled on itself centrally to form a pintle seated in the other slot ofthe lever whereby the lever reciprocates the tie rod laterally of theframe, a sleeve on said pintle, an axle extending transversely of theframe, brackets securedto the sides of the frame and having aperturesthrough which the ends of the axle depend, knuckles pivoted on the saiddepending ends of the axle, Wheel spindles carried by the knuckles, andconnections between the knuckles and the tie rod whereby the knucklesare partially turned on the ends of the axle, and whereby the turningmovement of the member is communicated to the wheels.

4. In a steering mechanism of the character described, a frame, a memberturnably mounted thereon, a lever oscillatively mounted on the member,means for communicating the motion of the member to the said lever, atie rod having a pintle between its ends engaged by the lever forreciprocating the tie rod, an axle extending transversely of the frame,brackets each having anchoring anges by which it is secured to theframe, said brackets having apertures near their outer ends, dependingpintles on the ends of the axle extending through the apertures of theflanges, knuckles turnable on the said pintles, and means forcommunicating the motion of the tie rod to said knuckles, whereby theturning movement of the member is communicated to the knuckles.

5. In a toy vehicle of the character described, a frame comprising achannel iron having a web and fianges, coinciding slots in the flangesand a transversely disposed slot in the web in alinement with the slotsof the flanges, a tie rod bent on itself centrally to form a pintle,said pintle extending through vthe slot of the web with the portions ofthe tie rod on each side of the pintle extending through the slots inthe flanges, a lever pivotally mounted on the web and havinglongitudinally extending slots near its ends through one of which thepintle projects, a turnable member mounted on the frame, a pin carriedby Vthe turnable member and extending through the other slotl of thelever whereby a turning motion of the member oscillates the lever,spindle knuckles to which the ends of the tie rod are connected, a shaftanchored to the frame and having depending portions on which theknuckles partially rotate, spindles carried by the knuckles,

and wheels on the said spindles.

6. In a steering mechanism of the character described, a framecomprising a channel iron having correlated slots in its flanges and aslot alining therewith in the web of the channel iron, a tie rodoperating in the slots of the fianges having an upstanding pintleoperating in the slot of the web, a member turnable on the frame, alever pivotally mounted on the frame and having slots at each end in oneof which the pintle is located, a pin carried by the turnable memberprojecting into the other slot of the lever, Y

a shaft secured to the frame, said shaft having a depending portion ateach end, a knuckle Y turnable on each end of the shaft, a spindlecarried by each knuckle, wheels on the spindles, each of said knuckleshaving an aperture remote from the depending end of the shaft on whichit is mounted, angularly disposed ends of thetie rod extending intothexsaid apertures whereby oscillation of the lever communicates turningmotion to the knuckles to produce the steering operation.

MINER S. ANDERSON.

